Foot protection devices for vehicle occupants serve to protect the lower extremities against injuries by the penetration of the vehicle floor or the splash-board in an accident. In DE 298 23 235 U1 there is proposed a vehicle safety device which can serve to protect the feet of an occupant by moving a section of the vehicle floor towards the feet of the vehicle occupant in the case of being activated. This can take place either in that a double vehicle floor is provided, between the layers of which a gas bag is situated, which is inflated in the case of being activated and thus raises the vehicle floor. As a second solution, an inner insert plate is proposed which is connected with the vehicle floor by means of hinge levers and in the case of being activated is moved by a linear drive parallel to the floor, the hinge levers being set up on displacement and raising the floor. Both solutions are relatively complicated and involve a high expenditure in terms of components.
It is an object of the invention to provide a foot protection device for vehicle occupants which is simple to produce and manages with a small number of components.
This is achieved in a foot protection device which comprises a foot support piece which can support the occupant""s feet, a base piece by which the foot protection device can rest on a floor of a vehicle, and an adjustment device to displace the foot support piece in a first direction parallel to the base piece. Ramp surfaces are constructed on at least one of the base piece and the foot support piece, which with a displacement of the foot support piece by the adjustment device bring about a movement of the foot support piece in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.
Further advantageous developments of the invention will be apparent from the sub-claims.